CLEVELAND – Jim Donovan, the beloved radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns and a fixture of television sports for more than four decades, died Saturday. He was once 68 years old.
Donovan retired from his television career prior to this event and stepped away from his game day duties with the team ahead of this season’s battle with cancer. He had referred to Cleveland games since the team’s expansion revival in 1999.
“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” said Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable, as he touched the lives of our fans every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance in his craft.
“He will be greatly ignored, but he cemented a legacy that will survive forever. The only thing that surpassed his love for this city and this team was the affection he had for his fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, “Meghan, and everyone who was ever lucky enough to name Jimmy public or friend.”
Donovan, a Boston native known to everyone as “Jimmy,” endeared himself to Cleveland fans with his passion, sense of humor and professionalism. He was a stickler for details and spent countless hours preparing for game broadcasts.
Donovan had recently been inducted into the Browns’ Legends Club and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. He had been too ill to attend the events.
When he was forced to resign in August, Donovan wrote a letter to Browns fans expressing his gratitude for their support.
“I’ve been calling Browns games for 25 years. Not a week has gone by that I haven’t paused and been so proud to be ‘The Expression of the Browns,'” he wrote. “Cheryl, Meghan and I appreciate all the love, support and prayers during my difficult times. It’s like having a big crowd around us. And that’s what makes the Cleveland Browns so special. You have it.”
Donovan had to leave his position as sports director at WKYC-TV Extreme Fall for several months to undergo treatment for leukemia. He returned to the print sales floor shortly thereafter to announce the team’s run to the playoffs at the end of the season.
He was diagnosed with persistent lymphocytic leukemia in 2000 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011.
Donovan, a graduate of Boston University, was sent to Cleveland in 1985. In addition to doing local reporting on the city’s three professional sports franchises, Donovan also had several national network assignments and was part of NBC’s coverage team. in 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.
